Kensington Palace has asked for Meghan Markle’s father to be given “respect and understanding” amid reports he has pulled out of attending his daughter’s wedding to Prince Harry.
Thomas Markle told entertainment website TMZ he made the choice to not attend the Royal wedding after he staged a series of photos of himself for the event with a well-known paparazzo.
Mr Markle reportedly said he had a reason to make the deal with the photo agency and that it was not primarily about money, but he now deeply regrets the decision and did not want to embarrass his daughter or the Royal family further.
He also told TMZ he had suffered a heart attack last week but checked himself out of hospital to make it to Windsor in time for the wedding.
In a statement, Kensington Palace did not confirm Mr Markle would not be in attendance at the wedding, but asked for “understanding and respect” to be given to him.
“This is a deeply personal moment for Ms Markle in the days before her wedding,” the statement read.
“She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr Markle in this difficult situation.”